One Copy Free
black&white the
VOLUME 17 ISSUE 9
MAY 2008
4 OPINION
The staff shares its opinion on texting and its negative influence on communication and social skills.
515.278.0449
6501 NW 62ND AVE
JOHNSTON, IA
19 SPORTS
13
FEATURE
Senior Tucker Vasey was accepted to play on Drake’s club tennis team. Read more on 19.
Learn about students’ creative alternatives for senior pictures.
THE BIG MOVE Piecing together the new with the old LAUREN GEHRKE staff writer KALLEN KRAMER staff writer The choral, band and some math classrooms have moved to the newly constructed areas. The math classrooms were displaced for the time being to begin renovations. This began May 5. “Our staff and students have been great with the transition,” principal Bruce Hukee said. “I think the effect has been minimal. I appreciate everyone’s flexibility.” Several teachers who moved to the new areas will have to move again as the rooms are completed. This will take place either in the summer by the custodians or the teachers themselves. The teachers are the only ones who will have to move until things are completed. Some teachers think they may get some help with the moving process. “We may order pizza and get students and parents to help set up things,” choir teacher Sarah Van Waardhuizen said. Next year’s departments will be grouped together by subject, which teachers like, but room layout technicalities have some teachers frustrated. “Architects have the plans in their mind and they go with it,” Pippert said. “Their plans don’t always go the best with the educators. It’d be nice to have input on the little details.” White boards have been placed in the front of rooms with bulletin boards on both sides. If the projector screen is put on that wall, it will completely take away from the use of the white board. There is another, bigger board on a different wall, but it would not be in the front of the classroom, and not be as useful. The numbering of rooms creates a different problem. It makes no sense for someone who has never been to the high school. The 100s, 200s, 300s, and 500s are on the first floor, with 400s on the second floor. There is not much order in the numbering.
Kiera Morrill, Kallen Kramer and Lauren Gehrke/BW Physical Fitness/ Wellness Center Cafeteria
Vocal Rooms Classrooms Band Rooms
FCS Room Classrooms
Classrooms also need to have three numbers for phone extensions. Since the current gym and choral rooms were in the 500s, the decision was to stick to 500s. “We talked about renumbering and rekeying the whole building,” Hukee said, “but it would cost too much.” Questions of lengthening the passing periods have arisen with the larger additions. Hukee said that right now the passing periods will not be changed, but the situation will be monitored. Family Consumer Science (FCS) and choral classrooms have a lot of changes. “(The new room) will have a commercial kitchen with six gas burners and a grill, as well as a hood,” FCS teacher
Ruth Hamilton said. “A Culinary III class is going to be added next year to utilize all these new features.” The choral department does not get a brand new room, but their current room, along with the old band room, will be renovated to hold the entire choir department. The current choir room will be turned into a concert choir/mixed choir room, while the band room will be for show choir, complete with platforms and mirrored walls. “The room hasn’t been worked on in 30 years,” Van Waardhuizen said. “We’ll get new lighting, carpet and paint, and be able to make better use of the current sound equipment.”
Although the construction began in the fall, it will not be completed until this summer. Teachers have been very pleased with the schedule. “Everything has been on time,” Van Waardhuizen said. “We moved out on Monday (May 5), and on Tuesday, demolition had started. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished earlier than planned.” Renovations are according to schedule and will be ready to go by the beginning of next school year. “The construction company and architects have been very responsive and have communicated very well,” Hukee said. “We are on target to finish on designated dates in July.”